Naim Supernait 3 Integrated Amplifier

About:

In the six years since the last NAIT integrated amplifiers were released, our research and development team have worked on a range of amplifier improvements. The result is upgraded power amplifier sections for SUPERNAIT 3, delivering greater pace and intimacy to their musical delivery – whether it's driving a pair of loudspeakers or your favourite pair of headphones.

SUPERNAIT 3 has received significant performance upgrades, including a built-in phono stage, making it a perfect partner for turntables, as well as for streamers, CD players, or any other music source people want to enjoy with the signature Naim sound.

It also includes a Class A preamp output stage which doubles as a headphone amplifier and ceramic heatsink technology that minimises capacitive coupling between the chassis and output transistors for optimum sound quality.

Its inputs are each individually decoupled and hand-wired to minimise noise and interference while internal switching employs ultra-low-noise, constant current sources which are derived directly from the electronic design of the flagship NAC 552 preamplifier.

The SUPERNAIT 3 can be upgraded with our external power supplies, power amplifiers and even cabling upgrades to get the best from all sources.

Features:

With our typical obsessive attention to detail – all in service of achieving the most authentic musical performance – the SUPERNAIT 3 benefits from the following features:

• Class A headphone amplification
• Alps Blue Velvet volume control
• Reed relay input selection
• Ceramic insulators for the power transistors
• Galvanically isolated microprocessor control section
• Microphonic-isolating PCB mounts

Step up from the NAIT XS3 to the SUPERNAIT 3 and you benefit from a range of superior features, all designed to deliver even better sound quality:

• Full 24V DR module built-in: enjoy the purer power and performance improvement of Naim’s Discrete Regulation technology for the entire pre-amp stage.
• Larger toroidal transformer in the power supply: provides greater power and speed of recovery
• Additional leaded through-hole components in the signal path: further minimises negative effects of vibration and transient thermal conditions
• Chassis-mounted input sockets hand-wired to the circuit boards: offers enhanced vibration isolation
• Full Alps Blue Velvet balance control

Technology & Craft:

The upgrades in more detail:

• Our R&D team has found a way to more than double the speed of the voltage gain stage, which in turn doubles the rate at which the speaker output stage can react.
• The second gain stage transistors have been optimised, so they no longer need to be shielded by a cascode stage transistor. Removing the cascode means less amplifier stabilisation is required: that doubles the slew rate and delivers an uplift in sound quality.
• The phono circuit topology comprises 3 stages: the gain stage, passive equalisation and final gain and active equalisation. This enables excellent noise performance, extended RIAA equalisation beyond the audio band and great overload headroom.
• All RIAA equalisation capacitors and the RIAA resistors are ‘through-hole’ mounted film designs, with low microphonic pickup and excellent transient performance. As phono stages are 1000x more sensitive than other inputs, this greatly benefits the sound quality.
• Input impedance is 47kΩ in parallel with 470pF capacitive loading; the gain is perfect for 5mV moving magnet cartridges.

Specifications:

MM Phono Input: via RCA, 47k parallel 470pF input impedance, suitable for 5mV cartridges
Line Level Inputs: 130mV sensitivity, 47k input impedance, suitable for 2V
Power Amp In: DIN Socket
Audio Outputs:

• Powered Accessory Sockets
• +24V for Naim phono amplifier

Speaker Outputs: 80W per channel into 8 ohms (4mm sockets), 130W per channel into 4 ohms
Line Outputs Variable (level): 

• Pre-amp (DIN), Bi-amp (DIN), Sub (RCA pair) 775mV,
• Line Outputs Fixed (level)
• AV (DIN), Stream (DIN) 130mV, 600 ohms

Headphone Output: 1/4 inch (6.35mm) TRS Socket
Updates: 1 x USB mini-B
Remote Input: 1 x 3.5mm jack on rear
Finish: Case: Black powder coated Front: Brushed and black anodised
Physical Shipping Weight: 17.25 kg
Shipping Dimensions: 240 x 590 x 500 mm
Weight: 14 kg
Dimensions (HxWxD): 87 x 432 x 314 mm
Power Consumption (max.): 400VA
Mains Supply: 115V, 230V; 50 or 60Hz
Power Consumption (quiescent): 37VA
Supplied with: NARCOM-5 Remote Control, Mains Lead, Link Plug and Safety Manual
Front Panel: Volume control, balance control and front panel buttons
Remote Control: Infra-Red (RC5